Brake for vehicles



(No Model.)

H. J. BANTA.

BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

No. 360,195. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

q vitneo my wm vvl/oa UNITED STATES PATENT @FErcE.

HENRY J. BANTA, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,195, dated March 29,1887.

Appicaiion filed August 24, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. BANTA, of Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brakes for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in vehicle-brakes.

The object is to provide a brakeparticularly adapted to two-horse vehicles, in which the back-pressure of the team in going down bill will automatically set the brakes, and in connection therewith to provideimproved means for holding the brakes off during the time that there is no setback by the team, and means for preventing the setback of the team fro m affecting the brake when it is desired to back, a further object being to provide an effective, inexpensive, and durable brake.

\Vith these ends in View my invention con sists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the tongue and front axle and wheels of a wagon, showing the brake and brake-operating mechanism in position for use. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the brake-bars, showing the device for holding the brake off when the team is not exerting back-pressure. Fig. 3 shows one end of the chain J secured to a sliding ring, and Fig. 4 is a modification showing mechanism for removing the brakes from the wheels.

A represents the front axle, B the wheels, and G the tongue, of any ordinary two-horse vehicle.

To the under side of the tongue 0 is secured a crossbar, D, to which, near its ends, are pivotally secured the brake-bars E. The bars E extend outwardly a trifle beyond the faces of the wheels B, and are provided on their edges toward the faces of the wheels with suitable brakeshoes of any approved construction; or the bars themselves may act as shoes, if so desired. The bars E are composed of two sec- Serial No. 211,725. (No model.)

tions, which are secured together by means of the hinged joint F, the object of which is to enable the shoes to be placed from contact with the wheels, when it is desired to back the team, by turning the shoes OVGI on the bars E, as shown. The adjacent ends of the brake-bars E are connected by a flat C-shaped spring, G, as shown, the tension of the said spring being exerted in tending to draw the adjacent ends of the brake-bars E toward each other, and hence tending to hold them normally in a straight line transversely to the tongue. To the adjacent ends of the bars E are also secured the ends of the branches h of the brake-operating chain or rod H. The two branches h are connected to the cross-bar I at a point a short distance in front of the brake-bars. The single rod or chain H is secured centrally to the bar I and leads forwardly toward the end of the tongue and extends up through a slot in the same on the face of a grooved pulley, J, loosely mounted on an axle extending transversely through the slot. The end of the chain is connected to the neck-yoke at any suitable point, so that when the team sets back the chain or rod below the tongue, and hence the adjacent ends of the brake-bars, is drawn forwardly and the brake set against the face of the wheel. The greater the back-pressure the more tightly will the brakes be set, the team regulating the set of the brake without any trouble to the driver.

The cross-bar D is provided on its under side with the pins or posts K, which regulate the movement of the brake-bars. When it is desired to back the wagon without setting the brake, the shoes are turned over out of possible contact with the wheels.

The double-tree is secured to the tongue by a suitable bolt passing through the elongated slot 6, whereby a back-and-forward motion is permitted, for the purpose hereinafter explained. To each side of the double-treej are secured one end of the chains or ropes It, the opposite ends thereof passing over the pulley Z, secured to the rear bolster of a wagon, as shown, and secured to the inner end of the brake-bar next adjoining the side to which it is secured on the tree. By this means it will be seen that when the brakes are on and the ICO team is started the tree moves forward in the slot, thus tightening the chains is, which draw upon the inner ends of the bars and release them from contact with the wheels.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing.

from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a vehicle, the combination, with the tongue, a cross-bar connected therewith, and a pair of brake-bars pivoted near their centers to opposite sides of the cross-bar, said brakebars being provided with shoes hinged to their outer ends, so that they may be vertically raised and displaced from contact with the wheels, of 2o I a C-shaped band-spring connecting the inner ends of the brake-bars, a pulley journaled in the tongue, and a chain extending over the pulley, having one end secured to the neckyoke and the opposite end to the inner ends 25 of the brake-bars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 4

HENRY J. BANTA.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES E. HALE, J OHN Lone. 

